McDermott, who resigned as Australia's bowling coach in May 2012 following a highly successful one-year stint, was hired back by Cricket Australia on Thursday to prepare Australia's Test attack with a view to regaining the Ashes. The former Australian fast bowler, who retired in 1996 with 291 wickets from 71 Tests, spoke to TOI hours after taking up his new assignment.
Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Your re-appointment as Australia's bowling coach in Test cricket, ironically, comes on the heels of the ODI side failing to defend 359 runs against India in Jaipur...
It was pretty deflating to watch our bowling unit come up against three Indian batsmen who hit form on the same day and played unbelievably well. The fact that India got those runs with six-and-a-half overs to spare underlined the supremacy of the bat over ball.
Does it worry you at all?
Look, in cricket, as in life, you can always look back and feel that certain things could have been done differently. To be fair to bowlers on either side, the flat deck in Jaipur gave them no chance. There is simply no margin for error when batsmen have the option of hitting through the line.
Are you surprised that the bowlers on either side have failed to swing the new white ball in the series so far?
It is a real concern because that is the only chance pacers have on flat surfaces when the ball is new. It would be interesting to see how they respond to the challenge in the remaining games.
Are you concerned that Australian bowling unit could return demoralized before the Ashes series?
I hope not. Fortunately we only have Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Coulter-Nile out there who are in reckoning for Test berths. I have Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood and the rest here to work with, and I am already on the job.
Are you happy with Johnson's return to fitness and form?
Yes. He is bowling at full tilt and looks close to his best. With a little bit of work, he should be ready for the return Ashes series.
How confident are you of getting the bowling unit in shape before the England series?
Our bowlers hadn't done too badly in England. They kept us in the game in spite of our batsmen failing to put enough runs on the board. James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc bowled well initially, Harris excelled in the last two matches. Siddle was not as effective but was good in patches.
Young fast bowlers like Pattinson and Pat Cummins have broken down frequently in recent months. Is that a worry?
It is a concern and we are working on it. Work load has to be managed but it has to be done in the formative years, preferably at the U-19 stage. That is the right time to work on bowling techniques — run-up, delivery stride, action etc. That is what I have been doing. I have set up my own cricket academies in six states in Australia and I also run Pace Bowling Australia, a programme endorsed by CA, to unearth pace bowling talents.
Many regard you as the mastermind behind Australia's 4-0 whitewash of India in that series. When did you start your homework and what was the philosophy behind it?
We started our preparations two months back when Australia were touring Sri Lanka. The philosophy was simple. I am a believer in getting the ball to swing conventionally. The idea was to pitch the ball up and aim to bowl at least four deliveries in an over in the corridor of uncertainty and get it to move either way. It required discipline and perseverance, and our pacers, despite initial reservations, were prepared to be boring before reaping dividends.
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